A German journalist who called for economic and military sanctions against Israel will not be able to take up a position as a permanent correspondent in the country, after the Population and Immigration Authority accepted a recommendation by the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism to deny her entry.
The journalist, Serena Bilanceri, 43, a German journalist of Italian descent, had requested a recommendation from the Government Press Office to obtain an Israeli work visa on behalf of the German newspaper Die Tageszeitung (taz).
Avi Cohen Scali, Director General of the Ministry of Diaspora Affairs and Combating Antisemitism, recommended that the Population and Immigration Authority deny her entry under Amendment 40 to the Entry into Israel Law.
The Population and Immigration Authority accepted the recommendation, thereby preventing her appointment as the newspaper's permanent correspondent in Israel.
Bilanceri covers the Israeli-Arab conflict from Jordan, Syria, and Israel. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs cited two opinion articles she published in 2025 in which she explicitly called for sanctions against Israel.
In an article published in taz on November 17, 2025, titled "Sanctions Against Israel," Bilanceri adopted Amnesty International's characterization of Israel as an "apartheid state" and called on the international community to exert pressure on the country.
"Settler violence is not an isolated incident, but part of a radical strategy of expulsion. The pressure must come from the international community. The United States, as well as Germany and Europe, must impose economic and military sanctions," she wrote.
In another article, published on September 1, 2025, she criticized Germany's opposition to a European Commission proposal to impose sanctions on Israel over the war in the Gaza Strip.
"The European Union must now act together," she wrote, urging European countries not to limit themselves to initial measures.
"Europe must now take a firm stand. And if this step proves ineffective, further sanctions must be imposed. Proposals for such measures already exist, including at the European level. All that is needed is the willingness to implement them."
The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs determined that the public calls for sanctions met the criteria established under the Entry into Israel Law, which allows authorities to deny entry and residence visas to individuals who promote boycotts of the country.
Following the decision, Avi Cohen Scali said: "Anti-Israel elements and those who defame Israel should not set foot in the country."
He added, "We will not tolerate calls to boycott Israel under the guise of professional journalism. Professional journalism should not take sides in the conflict it covers, and certainly should not exploit the country's platforms to advance agendas that harm it."
Following the acceptance of the ministry's recommendation, Bilanceri was denied the opportunity to obtain the work visa she had requested to serve as a permanent correspondent in Israel.